No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
by DevinBourdain
Summary: Pepper had the best intentions when she asked Clint for a favour but when things take a turn for the worst the situation could cost them both their lives. Warnings: language and violence.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: The Avengers characters are not mine, just borrowed for this story.

Reviews are always welcome.

**No Good Deed Goes Unpunished **

The day had been a success according Pepper; she had accomplished everything she set out to do and it wasn't even time to meet Tony for dinner yet. One more stop and her mission to find the perfect present for Stark's birthday would be complete. She and Clint walked side by side down the sidewalk towards the bank. "I want to thank-you again for helping me out today Clint."

"Not a problem," replied Barton without pausing in his stride; his face was completely unreadable and Pepper wasn't sure if he really was happy to be there or not.

It had been seven months since the Avengers had saved the world and since then there had been a constant coming and going of the different members to Stark tower; the result was a close bond between each member and with Pepper through Tony. She had noticed that Barton never seemed to show up unless Natasha was there; the archer was one of the team's more elusive members.

For his part, Clint was indifferent about the day's events. He figured he was asked to help, not based on his expertise as Pepper claimed, but rather he was the best out of her limited options. She couldn't ask Tony because the surprise was for him. Thor wasn't on Earth at the moment; not that he would have been much help anyways. Steve wouldn't have a clue; modern things weren't his speciality, and Bruce didn't strike Clint as having a fountain of information on the subject, and finally Natasha was currently engaged on a mission for Fury. Process of elimination left Barton as Pepper's only resource that wasn't on the Stark payroll and thus could keep a secret without fearing Tony threatening his job as a way of gaining information.

It wasn't like he had anything planned anyway; things had been rather quiet of late. He was surprised when Pepper had asked to see him that morning; he'd received a text message on the phone Stark had issued to each team member. Tony's claim was they could either have cell phones to keep in contact or they would have to have to get matching team rings: Clint still shuddered at that particular thought. She had asked to meet him at a small cafe for brunch to discuss a problem she believed Barton could be of assistance with.

Brunch, as with the rest of the day, was filled with its fair share of awkward silences; but Clint was comfortable with uncomfortable silences and to Pepper's credit, if it bothered her, she never let on.

"Tony's birthday is coming up and I mean what do you get the man that has everything, right?" started Pepper after the waiter had taken their order.

Clint gave a little smile and nod as she continued, "anyways, he's been going on and on to Steve about this television show he use to watch when he was a kid; so I did some research on it and found a guy selling the motorcycle from the show. I know absolutely nothing about bikes and Tony mentioned once that you had one, and I was thinking that since Natasha is away on a mission..." Pepper paused for a moment and frowned at her little slip of information. "I mean not that I would know that Natasha was away on a mission or anything; but I was hoping you could check it out with me and make sure it's the real deal, runs, etc so I don't get swindled."

He held his hand up to stop the onslaught of rambling. Clint wasn't surprised that Pepper knew about the various missions they went on; Stark couldn't keep his Iron Man identity a secret from the world, why would anyone believe that he would keep classified information from his girlfriend? Taking in the hopeful look of his lunch companion, Barton let out a sigh.

"I suppose I could take a look at it for you," offered the archer. He would have thought he just proved the existence of Santa to a disbelieving child the way her face lit up, and she proceeded to thank him incessantly.

They had checked out the bike and everything seemed to be authentic and in working order. Pepper had engaged in negotiations over the price and Barton was extremely impressed at her skills; it also shed some insight into how she managed to hold her own against Stark. When they finally agreed on a price, the pair set off to the bank to set up the transfer from an account that Tony didn't know about. The last thing Pepper wanted was for her surprise to be ruined because Tony suddenly decided to take an interest in that month's banking transactions.

Clint opened the door for Pepper, who smiled and thanked him as she walked into the bank. As they entered the main lobby, a man in a dark grey suit walked towards them with his arms wide open; he placed both his hands around Pepper's and shook it with a big smile. "Ms. Potts, right this way please," greeted the manager as he led her towards the stairs to his office.

She turned to look at Clint who was trailing behind her; he pointed to himself and then to the wall signalling to her that he was just going to wait out there for her to conclude her business. He watched as Pepper began to explain what she wanted while heading into the manager's office.

Barton sauntered over to the wall at the base of the stairs and leaned against it. He watched the people come and go through his dark sunglasses. Sure there weren't any enemy agents to be on the lookout for; but the habit had been deeply ingrained in him to not let anything escape his attention, so he watched.

The whole meeting took twenty minutes; the manager loved to engage in small talk. Pepper was sure the only thing that saved her from having to hear another supposedly amusing anecdote was the fact that the bank was closing in ten minutes. Pepper headed down the stairs to find Clint leaning against the wall with his arms crossed across his chest, staring out towards the lobby. She felt bad knowing that he probably hadn't moved an inch in the entire time she'd been in the office. "Sorry that took so long," she said as she reached the last step.

Clint shrugged and was going to tell her not to worry about it, when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. The bank was closing soon; they might have even been planning on locking the doors early, but there were still too many people there for that. He saw the man place something on the door handle and reach for something hidden under his jacket; Clint didn't need to see the object to know what it was.

Just before the shower of bullets ripped through the lobby, Barton manage to take the two steps closer to Pepper and propel them both through an open office door and down to the floor. The second he felt the impact with the ground, he rolled off of Pepper and kicked the door shut with his foot. His companion let out a small cry of horror, and Clint crawled back over and covered her from the glass and drywall that was raining down upon them.

Pepper covered her ears from the deafening sound of the rapid fire of several weapons and the shattering of glass. She screwed her eyes tightly shut and held her breath, waiting for the horror to end; vaguely aware of Barton shielding her from the glass window that was shattered from the onslaught.

When she finally opened her eyes the dust had settled; the only thing she could hear was pounding of her heart and her own ragged gasps. Eventually the shouted demands of the gunmen overshadowed the pounding of her heart, but she wasn't able to make out the words. Her body felt heavy and it took her a moment to realize it was a body on top of her, and another to remember it was Barton.

"Clint?" Pepper was surprised it was even her voice; it was a small fraction of what it usually was. She tried again but still didn't get a response.

She managed to wiggle herself out from under her companion and went to roll him over. She grabbed hold of his shoulder with one hand and placed the other on his waist. Pepper pulled him onto his side; her hand came away sticky. She looked down at the red substance that coated her delicate hand and after a few seconds her brain connected a word to what she was looking at: blood.


	2. Chapter 2

"It's a classic!" huffed Tony. Steve just gave him a blank stare, thus signifying yet another thing he was not familiar with.

"Really? Well we'll definitely have to correct that gross oversight. But really?" Stark turned his disbelief towards Bruce, who threw his hands up in surrender. He wasn't overly familiar with what Tony was referring to either. "Unbelievable. Just what is it you do with your spare time?"

Bruce, Steve and Stark had all gathered in the kitchen taking a break from their current projects. Bruce and Tony had been tinkering in one of the labs at Stark Tower, and Rogers had been making a small attempt to acquaint himself with Tony' s vast DVD collection of movies Steve "just had to watch". The only thing that Captain America had learned was that he and Tony had very different definitions about what constituted entertainment.

Tony took a sip of his scotch and glanced at the clock. He was supposed to meet Pepper for dinner tonight and he wasn't about to miss this date. The woman had the patience of a saint; he'd pretty much stood her up last week when he lost track of time while trying to make some new adjustments to his Iron Man suit, and she was scheduled to fly out tomorrow for a board meeting. So not only did he have to make up for his short sightedness last week, but he had a deadline in which to do it.

"Any word on Romanoff yet?" asked Banner.

Steve shook his head as he sat down at the table and picked up half of his sandwich. A sharp snapping sound caught both his and Bruce attention, and they turned to face Tony who was downing his drink with one hand and snapping his fingers at them with the other.

"Fury said she wasn't due back for another four days," informed Stark as he put down the empty crystal tumbler.

"Sir?" sounded the AI voice, stopping any further discussion from the group.

"What is it Jarvis?" asked Stark with his usual slightly annoyed tone.

"There is something I think you should see." The TV in the kitchen turned on to the local news station which was airing a live report from outside a bank; all three men turned to watch the news program.

"Again, if you're just tuning in we are currently watching local law enforcement secure the scene at the First National Bank where several armed men are currently holding numerous people hostage," reported the broadcaster.

Jarvis continued, "Sir, Ms. Potts had an appointment there this afternoon. I believe agent Barton was with her."

"What? Why would she have an appointment . . . never mind," muttered Stark to himself then in a more audible voice, "Try getting Pepper on her cell."

Everyone waited somewhat impatiently as they listened to the ringing that Jarvis was playing over the speakers. After a few moments Pepper's voice answered instructing them to leave her a message.

A million scenarios ran through Tony's head for all the reasons his CEO was not answering her cell, but despite some fantastical scenarios they all came back to the very real possibility that she was in the middle of the hostage situation at the bank.

"Try her phone again," ordered Tony trying to keep the fear he felt from his voice; the phone rang again and then went to voice mail. "Again!" he demanded.

Banner and Rogers waited silently as Stark tried three more times to reach Pepper; each lost in their own thoughts regarding a potentially dangerous situation. Both could understand what Tony was feeling at that moment; the possibility that someone you loved was in danger.

Bruce spoke up first as a thought occurred to him. "Jarvis, you said agent Barton was with Pepper?"

"Yes."

"Try calling his cell."

It was a long shot. Maybe Pepper wasn't in a position to pick up her cell but Clint was; maybe the archer was going to answer and be able to tell them that everything was going to be alright. When an automated voice requested they leave a message, all hope that their friends weren't in the middle of the scene unfolding on the television crumbled.

"Right. We're suiting up, let's go Rogers," snapped Tony as he started formulating plans in his head.

Steve stood up from his stool, "We need to tell Fury what's happened. If they are trapped inside the bank . . ."

"When has anything ever gone our way? Of course they're there. Now let's go!"

Rogers nodded and left to get his stuff. Tony started to walk towards the door to get his Iron Man suit on when he noticed Bruce lingering by the table, a serious expression on his face.

It wasn't that Banner didn't want to help. Pepper had become a very good friend, and Clint was not only a friend but a teammate as well; but bringing the hulk into a hostage negotiation? That sounded like a recipe for disaster not rescue.

"Let's go Bruce, don't make me tell you twice!"

Bruce replied in his usual calm placid manner. "Right, 'cause a hostage situation at a bank is a real stress free relaxing place."

Stark just ignored him as they both moved towards the elevator so Tony could go suit up. Captain America joined them fifteen minutes later having put on his own suit, grabbed his shield and contacted Fury.

"Do we have a plan?" asked Rogers as the last piece of Ironman's suit snapped into place.

"I'm working on it Cap. Jarvis, try Ms. Potts cell one more time."

The phone rang twice and no one really expected a different outcome from before, but they were about to be wrong. The quiet frantic whisper greeted them on the other end of the line "Tony!"


	3. Chapter 3

Pepper froze when she saw the blood on her hand; the world stopped and everything melted away except for the stain that seemed to cover everything until there was nothing but red. Regaining her focus she whipped her hand on her jeans and looked up towards Clint's face; his eyes were closed and his lips were slightly parted allowing shallow breaths to pass through. She tapped the side of his face, gently at first then harder.

She could hear the commotion outside the office; the men were gathering together all the people and issuing orders. For now they didn't seem aware of the pair's presence in the office. Clint had managed to close the door and even though the windows had been shattered, the blinds, as damaged as they were, still hung down obscuring the view inside the small room. She knew eventually they would think to look in them; with that in mind she kept her voice low as she called out to Clint.

The first thought that formed in the black fog that seemed to have drowned out all his senses was to tell whoever was tapping him to give him just five more minutes. Five more minutes and he might have the energy to open his eyes, let alone do whatever it was that required his immediate attention. The second thought was smothered by a sharp stabbing pain that started in his side and quickly engulfed his entire body.

His breathing picked up and a grimace spread across his face at the same time the whole situation reaffirmed itself. The man chaining the doors shut, the glint of cold steel being pulled out from his jacket and the sound of several people opening fire in a small building and Pepper. Clint's eyes flew open to try and determine what had happened to his companion. It took a few seconds but she came into focus. A small groan escaped his lips as another wave of agony washed over him and he felt her place a delicate hand over his mouth to help block the sound.

She leaned closer and whispered in his ear, "They're right outside. I don't think they know we're here yet but you have to be quiet."

Clint could tell she was putting up a brave front, but the slight tremor in her voice gave her away. She removed her hand and ran them both across his chest. "I don't know what to do; tell me what to do" Pepper pleaded.

There had been worse situations; Barton could think of many. He'd been gravely injured, on his own and he still somehow managed to find a way to complete his mission and get home. This would be no different; sure there was a room full of hostages, an enemy whose means and motives were unknown, he had none of his preferred weapons and no back up, but he could get Pepper and himself out of this. He just needed to think; he needed that dizzy nauseous feeling to go away and the pain in his side and his leg to die down for just a moment.

_One problem at a time_ Clint told himself. He took mental inventory of all his possible injuries. He knew he had taken a bullet in the side and in his leg. _First, they need to take cover. _"We have to get out of sight. I need you to help me get behind the desk," he explained.

Ms. Potts nodded and helped drag Clint behind the large desk; it wasn't the best cover, but if the gunmen walked by and glanced into the office they would at least be out of sight. If they did come into the room, every second counted and a small element of surprise might mean the difference between things going their way or not.

It was slow going and Clint almost bit through his lip in an effort not to cry out; once they were both behind the desk, they collapsed - it had taken a lot of energy just to move the few feet. _Second,_ _stop the bleeding._ Barton quickly glanced around the room and caught sight of a jacket crumpled in the corner.

"I need you to grab that jacket for me. We have to try and stop the bleeding." Clint pointed a shaky blood covered finger to the corner.

With the jacket in her clammy little hand she knelt beside her friend and began opening the desk drawers. Clint arched an eyebrow but smiled, as she triumphantly held up a pair of scissors and began cutting the material into stripes; she wrapped them around his left thigh and around his waist. The bullet in his leg had missed the bone, and the other one had lodge itself in his left side near the bottom of his rib cage.

Barton tried to focus on the voices in the other room in hopes of piecing together what was going on, and to distract himself from the pain as Pepper pulled the bandages tight to stop the blood flow. It sounded like the police had shown up and were trying to start negotiations; the men were trying to retrieve something from the vault and were setting up some equipment to try and cut through the heavy vault doors. They were going to be there for a while.

_Third, weapons._ He'd left his weapon of choice back at Stark tower; the day's activities didn't require him to have his bow but had he foreseen this turn of events, Clint would have reconsidered. That just left the items he could conceal on his person which was unfortunately only two knives and one gun this time. He reached into one of the pockets in his jacket and pulled out his Swiss army knife; it was better than nothing.

"Here, take this knife and put it in your pocket. You might need it," instructed the archer as he took a deep breath and prepared himself for his next move. Very slowly and painfully he bent his injured leg until he could reach the gun strapped to his ankle. Beads of sweat popped up on his forehead and he panted from the exertion.

Barton looked at Pepper and asked, "Do you know how to use this?"

She wrapped her trembling hands around the gun. "I – I...kind of." Seeing the less than confident look on Clint's face got Pepper to calm down slightly. "Yes, I've used a gun before, but what about you?"

A small smile ghosted his lips. "I'm a highly trained assassin. I don't need a weapon to take these guys out; it just makes it easier. Besides, they're going to search me and you're going to need them if something happens." If a fight did break out it was better for her to be able to use the gun and give her some distance from the enemy while Clint could handle fighting in close quarters.

"If something happens! What's going to happen?" Her protest was cut short by the shouting outside the room. Clint had been listening to the gunmen the whole time and knew what was coming.

"Did anyone search the offices?"

"I'm doing it now!"

The footsteps sounded like thunder as one of the gunmen moved to check each of the offices and Clint knew they were running out of time.

"If they're going to search you, then they're going to search me," whispered Pepper.

Clint locked eyes with her and tried to offer her as much reassurance that she was going to get out of this situation alive as he could muster. "You're not going to be here." He pointed to the large vent access in the wall behind her. "I want you to climb in there and don't make a sound. _No matter what happens!_"

"What? Wait, what about you? No, you're going to come with me. We can both fit in there," she begged.

He just shook his head. "Look they're going to see the blood and if someone's not here, they'll look further. If they find me, they won't have any reason to tear this office apart looking for you."

The gravity of what was about to happen weighed heavily on Pepper. Armed men were going to be busting through the door at any moment and Barton was demanding she hide and leave the injured man to fend for himself. A choked sob of 'no' escaped her lips. Their footsteps matched the pounding of her heart. Time was running out but what could she do?

Barton's soft yet firm voice grabbed her attention. "You need to hurry; they'll be here any second. You need to trust me Pepper I have a plan; it's going to be ok."

Pepper heard his words and wanted desperately to believe them, but seeing Clint lying on the floor bleeding allowed doubt and despair to pillage her soul. A million scenarios ran through her head. She knew he was just trying to protect her, but he was right about being the master assassin; and what if he did have a plan and her not following his direction put him in danger? With great trepidation she pulled the Swiss army knife out of her pocket and pried the vent open.

No sooner had she crawled in and snapped the vent back into place, than the gunmen kicked in the office door. She waited while they roughly hauled Clint to his feet and dragged him out of the office; Pepper clasped her hand over her mouth to keep her cries from escaping. The door slammed shut behind the men that grabbed Clint and she waited an eternity in silence.

An odd buzzing noise eventually caught her attention. She peered through the slits in the vent to see her cell phone buzzing against the carpet and tiny shards of glass. If she could get to her phone she could get them help; she could get a hold of Tony and he'd make everything alright.

Quiet and cautiously she climbed back out of the vent and grabbed the phone. The caller ID identified it as Stark calling and a sigh of relief slipped out. Pepper crawled under the desk and hit the call button to answer. It was shaky and choked but it was the sweetest word ever to grace her lips.

"Tony!"


	4. Chapter 4

Barton looked at Pepper in a vain effort to reassure her. He'd been in situations like this before; there was almost a predictability to them. Of course when dealing with people like this, anything could happen at any time but one could usually predict the limited ways they would react.

"You need to hurry; they'll be here any second. You need to trust me Pepper, I have a plan; it's going to be ok." It wasn't a complete lie; he kind of had a plan, more an idea really. The gunmen started their job by shooting up the place so Clint highly doubted he would be dealing with masterminds. They would provide an opening he could exploit, and when they did it was better that he didn't have to worry about Pepper getting hurt in the crossfire.

He watched as Pepper removed the vent cover and climbed in. The gunmen were searching the office next-door. The vent snapped back in place the same moment the door crashed open and Clint counted down the seconds until they found him at the end of the small blood trail.

"We'll look what we have here, Dave," said one of the thugs.

Two sets of hands grabbed Clint and roughly dragged him to his feet. The moment he put weight on his injured leg, pain shot threw him and his knee buckled. The archer would have crumpled to the ground but the men held him up and after Barton caught his breath he gingerly straightened out his aching limb but shifted his weight to his right side. The gunmen practically dragged him out of the room and into the lobby where the others were being held hostage.

Even when Barton was dropped onto the hard marble floor and blackness threatened to steal him from the white blinding pain that radiated through him, he never made a sound; he wasn't about to give them the satisfaction of hearing him cry out in agony as long as he could help it. His arms were pulled behind his back and tightly restrained with plastic ties that bit into his flesh.

The main doors were chained shut and the lobby was in ruins; shattered glass and wood littered the floor, along with the spent bullet casings that had created the destruction of the once peaceful bank. The other hostages consisted of a few clients and a handful of employees. So far Clint had seen seven men moving freely around the room; he recognized several from when he first arrived with Pepper, and the two that entered just before all hell broke loose.

The bank robbers left him alone and went back to focus on their immediate goal. Clint surveyed his surroundings forming a mental map of possible exits, hiding places, weapons and enemy locations. There were several other people tied in a similar fashion all sitting on the floor of the lobby; they were spaced out just far enough that they couldn't whisper to one another, but everyone's fearful eyes were fixed upon the newest arrival.

Sure the situation seemed bleak. He was alone, his weapon of choice was currently taking up counter space at Stark tower instead of in his hand and he was injured; it wasn't the worst situation he'd ever found himself in, but part of him was hoping his fellow Avengers would show up to save the day.

* * *

"Tony!"

Tony froze when he heard Pepper's distraught voice. It was one thing to put himself in harm's way to save the world or people he cared about, but it was quite another to know that someone he loved was in danger. She didn't need to say it, the terror in her voice told him his fear was correct; Pepper was in the middle of the scene playing out on TV at that moment.

Stark held his breath as he asked, "Are you at the bank? Are you Ok?"

"Yes, and yes; for the moment I'm fine. But oh god Tony, they have Clint." Iron Man had to strain his ears to understand the words through Pepper's quiet sobs.

"Ok, Pepper I need you to take a deep breath for me, can you do that? Take a deep breath and tell me, are you in any immediate danger?"

All three men looked at each other as they awaited her answer. Their helplessness unbearable; thousands of horrible scenarios playing out in their heads, as they knew there was nothing they could do for their friends at that moment.

"No, I-I don't think so. I'm in an office; the gunmen are all out in the main lobby of the bank. Clint told me to climb into the vent; they don't know I'm here. Tony, Clint's injured; I think it's pretty bad."

Steve closed his eyes in an effort to stop the horrible images his mind was creating; Hawkeye was in the middle of a hostage situation, alone and possibly dying. Since waking up to a brand new world Steve didn't have any friends to speak of; they had all lived their lives while he slept, leaving him alone in this brave new world. He hadn't exactly been actively inserting himself into the world or seeking out friendship in the beginning, but after the Avengers came together and saved the world he hoped he could count his teammates as his friends. Instead it seemed that right now Rogers was facing the very real possibility of losing yet another friend.

Bruce saw the concerned looks on his friends' faces. This was personal; he could feel it, and knew the other guy felt it too. They were going to rescue their friends if it was the last thing any of them ever did and, damn it, they were going to be fine when they did save them.

The need to act was racing through his veins as Tony realized not only was his girlfriend in danger, but an assassin that he'd reluctantly grown rather fond of over the last few months. He might even dare to say he considered all the Avengers close friends at this point.

"Pepper, I want you to listen to me; stay hidden and keep this line open. We're coming for you!"


	5. Chapter 5

Clint watched the gunmen as they moved around the bank. The weapons and technology they carried suggested they weren't local thugs looking for some fast cash, but their organization and operation was that of the hired help; clearly someone had planned this and sent their expendable henchmen to carry out the dirty work.

Barton started running through possible scenarios should he be required to take action. Pepper was out of the way, which was one less thing to worry about, but there were still other hostages that could get hurt in the crossfire.

He blinked a few times trying to stall the blackness that threatened to encroach. That was the other problem; time was against him. Yes he was injured and in pain but if the moment called for it, he was sure he could pull it together to make his move. That window was rapidly closing though.

Two of the thugs paused in their travels. Obviously, they thought they had left enough distance that Clint wouldn't be able to hear their whispers. _Yep, definitely the hired help, _thought the archer.

"Did you get it open?"

"Ya, the manager was much more cooperative after we showed him the pictures; he opened that vault right up."

"Did you find the access panel yet?"

"Safety deposit box number three sixteen. They're overwriting the security protocols now. Another hour or so and Keres will be ours."

The two men parted company and continued on with their tasks. It wasn't the vault door they were trying to drill through but something else. It may have been the blood loss but Keres rang a bell for Barton. He had heard that name before. It wasn't a person they were retrieving from a safety deposit box, and if there were security protocols to override then the item they were after had extra security. It couldn't be the bank's security, or they would have had the manager override it. Then it dawned on Barton where he had heard the name before; Coulson had been talking to Fury about it.

A mission had gone spectacularly sideways and Clint had awoken several days later in the infirmary at one of SHIELD's bases. Fury and Coulson had been discussing Keres while waiting for their injured agent to come to. Clint hadn't caught a lot of information before the pair realized he was regaining consciousness and stopped their conversation, not that Barton needed to eavesdrop on what his boss was discussing anyhow. Whatever these men were retrieving from that vault, it belonged to SHIELD and Barton wasn't about to let them turn it over to who knows who.

* * *

Pepper felt a wave of relief wash over her having been able to speak to Tony. Just knowing that someone was there with her, even if they weren't physically in the room, was reassuring. Knowing that Tony knew and would do everything in his power, and being Iron Man meant he had a lot of power, allowed her to believe that she might come out of this situation alive.

She clutched the cell phone like the life line it was. There in the cold darkness of the vent, the glowing screen served as her single ray of hope. Stark had told her to keep the line open; he would have Jarvis patch the call through to his suit so he could hear her at any time. Pepper couldn't hear anything Tony said unless he wanted her to, but being able to talk to him was worth everything.

As much as she wanted to stay in her safe little haven until she could be wrapped in her boyfriend's loving arms, she hadn't walked into the bank alone today. There was a handful of strangers sitting in abject fear in the lobby at that very moment, hoping and praying they would be reunited with their loved ones too. Then there was Clint, who wouldn't have been anywhere near this situation if she hadn't asked for his help, if she hadn't felt that she needed to include the solitary man. Was she worrying about his solitude because it made her feel uncomfortable or was she worried for him and his state of being? Whatever her motives, they didn't matter anymore; Barton was here and in desperate need of medical attention because of her.

Pepper made up her mind; she couldn't sit and do nothing. The voices of the gunmen sounded like they were at the other end of the lobby. Taking a deep breath and hoping for a little luck she began to slowly move towards the entrance to the vent as quietly as possible. Using the knife Clint had given her, she popped the vent cover off and crawled back out into the office. Tony's advice to stay hidden was the safe option, but there was too much at stake to play it safe.

The glass that littered the carpet cracked under her feet. Wary of what lurked outside, she huddled close to the wall and peeked through the mangled blinds that covered the window to the lobby. The hostages were restrained and seated on the floor about ten feet apart from one another. Most of the thugs' activity revolved around the vault but a few of them would wonder through the bank making themselves as imposing as possible so the hostages would cower in their presence.

Two of the men met up and their conversation carried to Pepper's location. She listened to them discuss their progress and goals. It didn't mean much to her but it could be very useful to the Avengers.

She ran the information over and over in her head in preparation to tell Tony, when her eyes fell upon the archer. Fear clenched her stomach and her breath caught. He was pale and small red dots were forming on the improvised bandages. His eyes kept closing, but he was fighting to keep them open. Even from where she was, she could see that his breathing wasn't the usual slow and steady breaths that were normal for him.

Tears began to well up in her eyes and her heart ached for the pain her friend had to be in. Yet despite his agony, his first priority had been her safety. If it was in her power to make sure he was going to get through this, she was damn sure he would.

As quietly as possible, she made her way back to the desk and crouched underneath it. It was time to update Tony on what she had learned and pray that he had a plan to rescue them. If there was a way to save the day, Iron Man, Captain America and the Hulk could find it.


	6. Chapter 6

Iron Man was the first to arrive on the scene. Everything was bathed in red and blue lights. A perimeter had been set up and the police were trying in vain to establish a meaningful dialog with the hostage takers in the bank.

The black SHIELD uniforms further behind the police line contrasted the seas of police uniforms on the street. The stone-faced agents were in the middle of turning a coffee shop into their base of operations. Tony immediately locked eyes with Director Fury. While he didn't know the man well, Stark wasn't entirely convinced Fury would deem this situation worthy of his personal attention.

Captain America and the Hulk arrived together, having opted to take one of Tony`s cars instead of waiting for a SHIELD transport. They parked at the end of the block and jogged over to where Stark was surveying the scene.

"Anything?" asked Steve.

Tony just pointed through the crowd towards Fury and his men.

"What are they doing here?" asked Banner, amazed that SHIELD had organized so quickly over a hostage situation that had only accidentally included one of their agents.

"I suggest we go find out," said Tony as he slid his faceplate up.

The trio stormed over to the coffee shop ignoring the gaping looks of shock from the people on the scene. The director was surrounded by agents who were receiving instructions. As the team approached the SHIELD agents, Fury paused in his orders to look at the newest arrivals.

"I didn't think something like this would mobilize you so quickly. Your devotion to Barton is almost touching," started Stark in the sarcastic tone he reserved especially for Fury. Sure, he liked to bust out the sarcasm for everyone but in his dealings with SHIELD, Tony had decided Fury needed his own special tone of Stark sarcasm.

Not rising to the bait, Nick replied, "the authorities have the situation under control. Your skills are not required in this situation; all three of you can return to Stark tower. I will update you as information becomes available."

"If our skills aren't required, exactly what skill set are you bringing to the table?" asked Tony. "This is a hostage situation. There are men in there with big guns that are pointed at some very innocent people, particularly Ms. Potts and let's not forget one of your agents. Since our skills aren't needed elsewhere I can't imagine a better situation for us to be here for."

"Agent Barton is the reason we're here. The Captain reported he was injured and, with everything he knows about SHIELD, it's recommended that someone be here to make sure he's not compromised. I would hate to think of our secrets slipping because the pain medication made his tongue a little loose.

"And it takes, what, twelve of you to insure that?" asked Bruce skeptically.

Sensing Fury wasn't going to comment, Tony piped up. "Let's ignore the insult to Barton for a moment while you answer Dr. Banner's question."

"I don't recall having to answer to you, Stark. In fact, I'm pretty sure in most cases you answer to me. Now, the three of you are going to stay out of the way and let us do our jobs," snapped Fury. "We wouldn't want someone to get angry and bring down the building," he added looking at Banner then turning to Steve, "or not understanding modern tactics and making an error that costs lives or," turning to Tony, "creating collateral damage showboating," finished Nick.

The intensity of the standoff in the coffee shop rivaled the one at the bank. The only difference was this one only lasted a few minutes. Tony conceded first, much to everyone's surprise. Without saying a word, he turned and started to walk back to the car Steve and Bruce had driven to the scene. Captain America and Banner turned and followed him, leaving Fury to continue his meeting with his agents.

Tony leaned against the car and glared in the direction he just come from. "He's up to something." He opened the car door and pulled out a brief case from the back seat. Slipping the computer out of the case, Stark began opening files on the touch screen.

Steve glanced back towards Fury, then looked at Stark. He had to agree, something more was going on than just concern that an injured agent might let a few pieces of intel slip. Bank robberies were hardly detrimental to the safety of the country or the world and thus wouldn't require such specialized operatives.

"What are you going to do? Are you going to hack into SHIELD's computers again?" Rogers asked as he watched Tony fiddle with his computer, somewhat surprised that he wasn't using the connection in his suit.

"No, Cap, that would make me a one trick pony. Do I look like a one trick pony to you?"

Bruce chuckled at the mental image he came up with.

Stark continued, "No, I'm hacking into their communications so we can eavesdrop on their conversation through those nifty little radio's they all have planted in their ears. There." One final tap and Tony turned the computer to his friends so they could all listen to Fury's meeting.

"The retrieval of the vials in the storage container behind the safety deposit box is critical. We cannot under any circumstances allow Keres to fall into enemy hands," ordered the Director.

"What about the hostages, sir?" asked one of the black-suited lackeys.

"Regrettably, they are expendable."

"And Agent Barton?"

"Is also considered expendable for the success of the mission. He knows what he signed up for."

Tony put the computer down and folded his arms across his chest. "Well, I think we all know what's about to happen here. I, for one, am not going to stand for it."

"What are we going to do?" asked Bruce, hoping that Tony had some sort of plan.


	7. Chapter 7

Bruce could feel anger coursing through his body. Part of him wanted to release the Hulk on Fury just on principle, but the prospect of his friends suffering as collateral damage forced him to keep the raging beast at bay. He pushed his hands in his coat pockets and turned his back towards the coffee shop. It was a small gesture to show his distain but it was better than the alternative.

Steve's face was a mix of sadness and hurt. The world was nothing like the one he remembered and he so desperately wanted to believe in something. He was a soldier and the best he could do for the world was to continue being the superhero it supposedly needed; SHIELD gave him that opportunity. The more he learned about the organization and their methods the more the feeling of being lost gripped him. Sure, he knew that the success of the mission was more important than the individuals performing it, but the way SHIELD passed off their lives as if they were no more important than the dinner fork they used last night was disheartening. Their friends were inside and it sounded as though it was an inconvenience to see to their safety.

Tony remained impassive. He didn't really expect anything more out of the organization than what they had demonstrated in the past. Somewhere in their quest to keep the world safe, the very people they were trying to save, the reason they existed, had faded to an afterthought. Well, to hell with the world. It no longer matter if everyone he loved was torn from it. Fury may have wanted them to sit this one out, but Stark would be damned if he was going to do nothing.

"Pepper, can you hear me?" asked Tony through the open line to her cell phone.

It took a moment but her voice came through his sound system. "I'm here, Tony."

"Are you doing ok?" It was a silly question; of course she wasn't doing ok. Locked in a room full of armed men, trying to stay hidden, knowing that Barton was injured; no one would be alright. The underlying selfish question of "tell me you're still out of the direct line of fire" carried through.

"They haven't found me but, Tony, you have to listen to me; they're not here for the money. They're here for something in safety deposit box three-one-six called Keres. I can hear them drilling and it sounds like it's coming from the vault, but the manager already opened the door and they were trying to override security protocols to access the box." There was a brief pause then in a much more subdued voice she continued, "Tony, Clint's not doing well. I don't think he can wait much longer."

Stark knew what it was like to watch a friend die; he didn't want that for Pepper. All of his technology and brilliance and none of it could let him walk into that room and wrap his arms around her and tell her everything would be alright. None of it allowed him to swoop in and grab the archer and fly him to the best hospital in the world and demand that they fix him. No, saving them required a plan, a strategy.

He could hear a tinge of guilt in Pepper's voice every time she mentioned Clint. When had it become Clint and not Agent Barton? Tony rarely referred to the man as Clint. It wasn't that he had anything against Hawkeye; Tony himself was more the independent type and compounded with Barton's loner tendencies, the two of them didn't really hang out as it were. Sure, they would risk their lives for each other in order to save the world, that was never in question, but sitting around having a beer and shooting the breeze just never happened. As a result, the Avengers consisted of himself, Thor, Bruce, Natasha, Steve (a constant source of enjoyable moral irritation) and Barton. That was all going to change. When this was resolved and everyone was fine, Tony was going to take great efforts to turn that into "and Clint".

Stark wasn't surprised by Pepper; she had a way of worming into people's hearts and providing them friendship in spite of themselves. She was very protective of the people in her life and to know Barton was slowly bleeding to death on the hard, dirty bank floor would be killing her and that was killing Tony too.

"Listen to me, Pepper, I need you to sit tight and stay out of sight, do you hear me? We're coming for you. I'll talk to you again and let you know our plan, just stay out of sight."

"We need a plan," said Rogers.

"I couldn't agree more, Cap. Right now our canary friend is expiring while a bunch of thugs are about to walk away with something that is of great importance to the Director over there. Now, since they don't care who's left standing when all this is over, I suggest we take matters into our own hands. Banner and I will hack into the bank's blueprints get the lay of the land and you, Captain Moral Compass, are going to be our spy."

"What?" questioned Steve.

"I doubt Fury's going to run over here and keep us updated with his plans, so I want you to go and mingle with your devout followers over there. You know, get the kids that idolize you to spill their guts to their hero and tell us what they're going to do and when."

"You really think that's going to work. Highly trained spies are just going to tell me when they plan to breach the bank."

"If you can't tell Captain America your secrets then who can you tell?" Stark ignored the disbelieving look. "Just get your trusting All-American face over there and do some recon."

Rogers relented and walked back to the coffee shop while Bruce grabbed the computer Tony had been using earlier and started to gather information. Stark slid his faceplate back on and used his interface to help Banner out.

His fingers flew across the screen pulling blueprints and any other relevant information Bruce could find. Tony and he examined the layout of the building, the security, and access points. The police had the building surrounded; there was no way the robbers would be exiting onto the street and negotiation tactics said they could not let the men leave the scene. Negotiations were going nowhere. It appeared that they were stalling for time. The robbers seemed very calm for not having a visible escape route.

"If they have a plan to leave, it's not using anything on these blueprints," offered Banner.

"I agree. We'll just have to hack into our friendly neighborhood SHIELD system and see if they have anything to add."

It took Tony a surprisingly short amount of time to hack into the highly secure database. He sent a more detailed set of blueprints to Bruce's computer. SHIELD was using the bank as a front for a series of highly secure vaults. Located within several safety deposit boxes were access panels that allowed agents to open the secure vaults located behind the bank's main vault. There was also a secret access tunnel that ran under the bank to several different locations within the city.

Stark said, "Well it looks like that's how they're going to get their prize out of the bank. It would also explain the drilling that Pepper's been hearing."

"So they crack open the secret vault, take whatever Keres is, and slip out through the tunnel before the cops know they've left. It's not the worst plan they could have."

"It depends on what Keres is and how bad SHIELD needs to keep it out of their hands. I imagine Fury will level the place to stop them from leaving through that tunnel."

"Can you figure out what Keres is?"

"Yes, but that will take more time. I propose we stop these guys before they get a chance to find it themselves."

Steve made his way back towards the pair. He would hate to admit it but Tony was kind of right. No one told him exactly what they were planning, but they didn't stop themselves from talking in front of him either. All Steve had to do was stand out of the way and offer a reassuring smile to the agents as they bustled around and he'd managed to get the intel they needed; until Fury noticed him hanging around and not so nicely reminded Rogers that they didn't need his services in this situation.

"I don't know exactly what they're going to do, but they're set to enter the bank within the hour. Fury convinced the police to turn the scene over to him. As of right now, SHIELD is in charge and negotiations have been suspended," informed Captain America.

"Well then, we'll just have to get in there first!" Tony opened his line to Pepper's cell again. "Pepper, I need you to hang on for a little while longer, we're coming to get you." Silence greeted him. "Pepper? Pepper! Shit."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The desire to close his eyes and give into the sweet nothingness darkness offered was strong. It pulled at his eyes and his very being but duty called. If SHIELD had gone to the trouble of hiding something here, then Clint was going to make sure it stayed here. The lack of stress gripping the robbers told him they were getting close to their goal. Their overconfidence was beginning to show and he only needed to wait for the perfect opportunity.

Two gunmen shared a few whispered words then one started moving the hostages together. He checked that their hands were still secure behind their backs before marching them closer to the front door. The other man moved to the phone that had been silent for the last twenty minutes and demanded to speak to the negotiator again.

So far, Barton had seen ten different men. They had been posing as customers, maintenance, and employees when the two men entered the front door and began shooting up the place. From what he could piece together, three were working on obtaining Keres, two were keeping watch over the hostages, two more were running errands and information between all parties, and the remaining three were drilling through the floor into an access tunnel that ran under the bank. The two runners would be out of the main lobby for ten minutes at a time. That only left the two guards.

If he jumped the one, the other would have to turn to see what happened. With the hostages gathered together at the other side of the room, Clint could take out the second guy and be ready to take out the others as they emerged from the vault without the hostages being caught in the crossfire.

The blade he had hidden made short work of the ties holding his arms together behind his back. The thugs had performed a very poor search when they found him earlier. It made it almost too easy.

The two runners made their way back to the vault and the second gunman had just moved another hostage over to the group. That left Barton and one of the bank security guards still on the opposite side. The second thug guarding the hostages moved over to the archer and poked him with the end of his shotgun.

He ordered, "Get up!"

Barton glared at him, trying to convey a level of defiance and weakness that would bring the man closer. The man took the bait and reached down to haul the injured man to his feet. He had just grabbed hold of Clint's shirt when Barton slammed his forehead into the man's nose. A loud crunch sounded and blood poured down the man's face.

Hawkeye jumped to his feet and began wrestling for the shotgun. An elbow to the chest dropped the thug leaving the gun in Clint's hands. He wasted no time in aiming at the second gunman. Just as he pulled the trigger, something cracked into the side of his head. The shot went wide instead of killing the other man, it ripped through his shoulder.

Barton landed on his hands and knees and shook his head to try and make the stars disappear. He cursed himself. The first man was still down, which meant another must have hit him. How had he missed a third robber in the vicinity?" Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a pair of black shoes next to him. His gaze followed a black pant leg up to a blue shirt and the face of the security guard that had been tied up next to Clint. He blinked a few times and, eventually, the two figures turned back into one and the room stopped spinning.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" asked the undercover thug as he grabbed Barton by the throat and hauled him to his feet.

Barton struggled for breath as the hand clenched tighter cutting off his valuable connection to air. He could hear footsteps coming down the stairs from the vault and the sound pounded in his ears along with his own heart beat. His side and leg screamed in protest of the sudden and forceful movements.

The guard released his grasp and snaked his arm around Barton's neck as he turned him to face the thug that just entered the room. Clint couldn't help but lean against the man holding him .He was probably the only thing keeping him on his feet at the moment.

"Who is that?" demanded the gunman who had just entered the room, the bank manager in tow.

The manager flinched at the hostility directed at him and answered in a trembling voice, "I-I-I don't don't know. He's not a client here that I know of."

One of the men trying to retrieve Keres came out to see what the noise was spoke up. The man had been posing as a bank teller before the chaos ensued. Whoever these men worked for, they had managed to integrate themselves into the bank staff very well. "He came in with a woman but I don't see her here, Mac."

Mac turned to look at the guard holding Clint up; he just shrugged. The man Barton had managed to shoot had made it to his feet and was now under Mac's unimpressed gaze. "I thought you searched the place, William."

"I did, and we found him. I say we shoot'em, he shot me!" replied the wounded thug.

A cruel smile spread across Mac's lips and Barton got a sinking feeling. "I have a better idea." He pulled out a handgun and marched down the remaining stairs until he was standing right beside Clint.

His voice echoed off the walls as he shouted, "Your friend here is going to suffer some unfortunate consequences if you don't come out here right now!"

The other hostages cringed at the threat, but the rest of the building remained quiet. Clint said a silent prayer that Pepper would stay hidden. Everyone waited with bated breath for some kind of response.

Pepper had peered through the blinds of the office when she heard the commotion. She watched while Clint took out one of the thugs and wanted to shout a warning when she saw the security guard get up, revealing his hands were not cuffed together, and club her friend with his night stick. She wanted to rush to his side and hold him safely in her arms as she saw him collapse to the ground. She wanted to do all this. Instead, she found herself paralyzed by fear. Even now, as she watched Mac stand threateningly over the wounded Avenger, she wanted to walk out there but her legs refused to cooperate, her voice refused to call out, and she cringed as she watched Mac backhand Barton so hard he slipped from the security guard's grasp and crumpled to the floor.

The archer hit the ground; he spat out a glob of blood from his split lip. He felt the cold end of a gun press against the side of his head as he was pulled onto his knees.

"You have to the count of ten to come out here or you friend is going to redecorate the floor. One – two – three – four," yelled out Mac.

Pepper looked at the phone in her hand. She knew Tony told her to stay hidden, but she couldn't hide while the man shot Barton. She placed the phone on the floor along with the gun and stood up. If they searched her, she didn't want them to be able to talk to Tony, to use her against him the way they were using Clint against her now.

"Seven – eight."

"Ok." Her voice was quiet, but it caused Mac to stop his counting. All eyes focused on the office as they heard the door creak open. Pepper slowly entered the lobby with her hands raised. She focused on Clint who was shaking his head slightly,; his eyes asking why she had left the safety of the office for him.

Mac ordered, "Bring the lovely lady over here, Josh."

The other gunman standing on the stairs walked over and roughly escorted Pepper towards Mac.

"Leave her alone!" demanded Clint as he watched Josh manhandle Ms. Potts. Mac replied by slamming the butt of the handgun against Barton's head sending him sprawling.

"Don't hurt him," cried Pepper as she joined him on the floor. She scooted over and cradled his head in her lap; heat radiated off his skin from the fever that was quickly claiming his body.

"Watch them." Mac pointed to the pair on the other side of the room from the rest of the hostages. The security guard nodded and aimed his weapon towards the pair to deter any resistance on their part as Mac and Josh returned to the vault.

Barton let out a muffled cry. His body was tired of the abuse it was receiving. He felt his grasp on consciousness slipping away.

"Shhhh, shhh, it's ok going to be ok, Clint," soothed Pepper, running her hand through his hair. The archer closed his eyes and his body went slack in her arms. _Please Tony, save us soon_, prayed Pepper.


	9. Chapter 9

Through the silence of the phone, Tony could hear a muffled conversation in the back ground. Someone was counting, then he heard Pepper say 'Ok' followed by some shouting and the sound of someone being hit. He could feel his own rage monster trying to escape at the thought of someone laying a hand Pepper.

Steve and Bruce looked at their friend; his suddenly rigid stance told them something was wrong. The robbers were getting closer to their goal and Fury was getting closer to breaking down the door. Their window of opportunity was quickly shutting.

"They have her," said Tony.

"Are you sure?" asked Banner.

The security camera feed they had been trying to hack into popped up on the computer and confirmed what Stark had said. There in the middle of the bank sat Pepper with an unconscious Barton's head in her lap, a gun pointing directly at them.

The trio watched the different camera viewpoints of the security feed. They took notes on the movement of the gunmen and how long it would take to get from point A to point B. Hanging out with two highly trained assassins for the last few months wasn't completely lost on them; they had picked up a few useful tips for crisis situations.

Simplicity and surprise might prove to be their best course of action. After weighing their options the Avengers decided that Iron Man would use his thrusters to smash through the wall and take out the man guarding Barton and Potts. From there, he would take out the other gunman in the lobby and protect the hostages from anyone that came out of the vault.

Steve would use his strength to bust through the back door. His shield would protect him from the gunfire coming from the vault; the men there would be his responsibility. Should any slip by Captain America then Stark was there to take them out before they made it to the door or made a move on the hostages.

Banner was going to wait outside. The bank was too small to house the Hulk without bringing down the roof. The last thing any of them wanted was for the Hulk to mistake the hostages for unfriendlies. Bruce would wait outside in a slightly less stressed, angry state and relay information to his teammates on the inside. If it came down to it, he would distract Fury from executing his orders to secure the scene through any means necessary. Sure the Director had gone to bat for them when the council sent a nuke towards Manhattan to defeat Loki, but he seemed content to carry out their orders this time.

They had just finished putting the final touches on their plan when Fury strode over to them, his leather coat trailing in the slight breeze blowing through the street. To say he looked unimpressed would be an understatement.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" questioned Nick, who didn't bother with any pleasantries. He was pissed that someone thought they could steal something from SHIELD, he was angry that one of his agents was injured inside, and he was irritated that once again the so called Avengers were ignoring yet another one of his commands. He did, however, have to admire the loyalty forming in the group. He sized up the men before him. Rogers and Banner thought to look at least a little sheepish,. Stark just glared back.

"Obviously you've been caught with your hand in the cookie jar again, Stark. I know I'm not going to like it, but what have you been up to?"

Tony shot back, "Just a little research there, Nicky, seeing as how you never like to give us the whole picture."

Fury wasn't surprised that it was Stark who lead this uprising. Bruce liked to avoid conflict whenever possible, for obvious reasons, and Steve was still a soldier deep down. He may not like Fury's way of handling things, but there was still a chain of command and no matter Rogers' personal feeling there was still a part of him that felt obligated to try and follow orders. The director surmised that if it wasn't their friends in that bank then Captain America would have tried to get the others to leave as instructed and let better equipped people handle the situation. Getting Stark to conform on this matter was going to be a huge challenge, maybe as big as trying to bring the Avengers together in the first place.

"You're told everything you need to know," retorted Fury.

"What's Keres?" Bruce's voice was quiet but grabbed Fury's attention. Everyone paused and waited for an answer.

In a slightly calmer tone, Nick replied, "Something we don't want the enemy to get their hands on. It's a much larger project but there are three vials located in a secret SHIELD vault, the contents of which cannot get out and should not come in contact with anyone."

"That's it?" asked Stark, hoping for something more elaborate and informative.

"That's all I'm prepared to divulge to you at the moment. How sure are you that you can end this without any casualties and without losing the vials?" Fury could see these men were determined. If they could save the world, maybe he should take another leap of faith that maybe, just maybe, they could do this too. They seemed to excel at things when people didn't think they could get it together to succeed.

"I believe we have a very good shot, sir," confirmed Steve.

"You realize what will happen if you fail?" The director didn't need to elaborate. They all knew what their failure would cost and the actions that would be taken by SHIELD to correct the situation. They nodded their understanding. "Well you better get to it!"

Before the Avengers could put their plan into action, a shout from the bank door penetrated the crowd.

"Hold your fire, there are hostages coming out!"

"That's different," muttered Banner as they watched the slow trickle of hostages march single file out of the bank at three minute intervals.


	10. Chapter 10

Potts knew that Barton had come back to the land of the living by the slight flinch and the way his body became rigid. The gunmen had left them on the floor opposite the other hostages; Clint was curled up with his head in her lap. The blow to the head hadn't been enough to break the skin, but a very large bruise was starting to make its presence known. She wasn't sure, but they could probably add a concussion to the list of his ailments.

By the sudden influx of movement, it seemed the bad guys had gotten what they were after. One had come out proclaiming that they had broken through and could now take Keres and go. Pepper held her breath, unsure if that was a good thing or not. If they had what they wanted, did they still need hostages?

She looked down to see a pair of grey eyes surveying the room. How he could be in what had to be a tremendous amount of pain and still employ his spy training was beyond her. She didn't know how any of the Avengers faced this kind of danger and still managed to save the day.

"Alright, I want all of you to stand up; it's time to leave!" yelled Josh, waving his gun around the room.

Clint lifted his head a little and watched the thugs start to gather people near the door. He knew he couldn't leave; someone had to stop these men from taking Keres. The police wouldn't know anything about it. They were just here to rescue the hostages and arrest the robbers. There was no guarantee that SHIELD had anyone mobilized to take these guys out. No, he had to make them keep him and make Pepper leave.

Pepper watched as the first group of three hostages was pushed out into the street. They had made it safely through this ordeal; maybe there was a chance that she and Clint could walk out that door too.

She leaned forward and whispered into Barton's ear, "I'm going to help you sit up now."

Even with the warning and Potts taking great care to help him move slowly, ever mindful of the bullet wound in his side, it was excruciating. He was hot and cold at the same time and could feel the beads of sweat build on his forehead. A small cry escaped his lips, but she was the only one that heard.

"They're letting us go now. You just have to hold on a little longer," she added.

He ran his tongue around his dry mouth, "I need to stay. _Y__ou _need to go, Pepper." He paused as a wave of pain surged through his body. "I have to stop them. No one else can."

"No, Clint, no. You're not staying. We're both leaving. You're hurt and there's nothing you can do."

"The shopping trip was fun, Pepper, but I have to go to work now."

Their argument paused as Josh approached the pair. "I told you to get up!" The command was punctuated with kick to Barton's injured leg.

The archer jumped a little as white hot agony overwhelmed him. This time, his cry of pain was heard by everyone. He grabbed a hold of the offending limb and tried to get his rapid breathing under control.

"Leave him alone, he's hurt!" shouted Pepper as Josh grabbed her by the arm and hauled her to her feet.

Josh was going to respond to the hysterical woman in his grasp when his knee buckled and he dropped to the ground. He glared at Clint who pulled his leg back under his body. The move served two purposes: one, it made him let go of Pepper, who was then able to take three steps closer to the door and freedom, and second, it irritated the gunman enough that he just might decide against letting Clint go.

Josh was just about to reintroduce Barton to the end of his gun again when William rushed over from the office that Pepper had taken refuge. He held up a phone for Josh to see the name and picture on the display.

"You know who that is?" William asked pointing towards Pepper who was being shoved in line with the other hostages by the turncoat security guard. Josh looked at the phone that displayed the open connection to Tony Stark then back to Potts. "She's the chick that's always with the billionaire. She's, like, his girlfriend or something. She runs his company."

A predatory smile crossed Josh's face. "We should probably keep a hostage for our trip through the tunnels. Something tells me he'd be more willing to deal for his girl than the cops."

Seeing his plan unravelling Clint argued through gritted teeth, "you don't need her. Stark will deal for me just as well as he would for her, probably better cause you let her go as a sign of good faith."

"And just who the hell are you to him, hmm?" Josh leaned over to get in the archer's face, "You don't strike me as his type. I think his girlfriend will be able to persuade him better. But don't worry, hotshot, I wouldn't dream of letting you walk away now."

He turned to the security guard. "You know what to do. Keep letting hostages out. When the last ones leave, you'll have about a minute to make it to the tunnels before they tell the cops there's no one left and they come busting in."

Pointing to Potts and Barton, he motioned to William. "Bring them."

Pepper rushed over so she could be the one to help Clint to his feet. She had a feeling she'd be more sympathetic than the gunman. They followed Josh up the stairs towards the vault while William continued to jab the end of his gun into Clint's back forcing them to walk or, in Hawkeye's case, hobble.


	11. Chapter 11

The three Avengers and Fury looked to the security footage broadcasting to Stark's computer tablet. They could see the gunmen herding the hostages towards the door, releasing a few at a time. Their eagle-eye view also allowed them to witness the thugs preparing to leave, probably via the SHIELD access tunnel running under the bank. Fury would never admit it, but his team had been unable to gain entrance to the tunnels and had been working on overriding the robbers' recently uploaded lockouts.

Bruce spoke first. "Uh, we have a problem."

The statement didn't do the scene justice. Rogers, Banner, and Stark watched as one of the gunmen kicked Barton and grabbed Pepper. Pride swept in as they watched Clint retaliate, then foreboding as they saw the way the thug eyed the pair and a cell phone that was handed to him.

"If we're going to put this plan into action, we have to move now!" declared Steve as he gripped his shield tighter.

"We're moving now," concurred Iron Man as he pulled his face plate down and fired his thrusters. The trio nodded to one another, each knowing what they had to do, while Fury stood back and let them work.

Rogers ran around to the back of the building, pushing himself as hard as he could. Every second counted now. Tony gave the signal to go ahead. Captain America took a fortifying breath and, with all the strength he could muster, shoulder-checked the door. It snapped open at the abuse. The crack of the door was only slightly overshadowed by the smashing of brick and glass as Iron Man made his own entrance into the bank.

With his shield raised, Steve pushed forward against the bullets slamming against it. The bank was alive with the sounds of gunfire and shouting. The first thug rushed towards Rogers. He was rewarded with an up close and personal encounter with Captain America's right hook.

Tony had flown through the wall, the brick and mortar bowing to the might of the red iron suit and blasters. The hostages that were still in the lobby let out surprised yelps at the sudden intrusion. Once he knew he was through the wall, he used his thrusters to lower himself to the floor. The bullets from the security guard's gun ricocheted off of his shoulder and Tony turned to face him. Leveling his hand at the guard Iron Man sent a burst from his blaster. The marble behind the guard exploded and crumbled on him as he tried to get out of the way. When the dust cleared, the man lay in a heap amongst the rubble.

"If you could all please exit the building," suggested Stark to the hostages still standing with their jaws on the floor. It took a few seconds, but they began to quickly file out into the street to safety.

"Steve, help!" Pepper's cry managed to rise above the other noise in the bank. Tony turned to see Rogers fighting off five of the men just a few feet from Potts, who was being pulled into the vault.

Steve was giving it everything he had and Pepper was so close. He locked eyes with her just after Josh shoved Barton through the hole drilled into the vault floor. He heard her shout and slammed his shield into the side of one man's head before kicking another, but he still had three more to contend with. Both he and Tony were too far away to stop William from pushing Pepper into the tunnel and jumping down after her.

Rogers made one last push to move towards his friends' last location. He could hear Iron Man's thrusters propel him across the room. They both reached the vault at the same time, just as an electronic plate slid across the opening to stop the pair from following. Tony turned his thruster towards the plate and fired. Nothing. He fired again and again, but it didn't even dent the metal. Succumbing to his frustration, he knelt down and started pounding on the door.

Captain America watched Tony battering away with no success. "Tony," Steve pled quietly. Tony kept on slamming at the door.

"Tony!" he tried again. Still nothing.

"TONY!" His shout was finally enough to pull the other man away from his attempts to bring the door down by brute strength alone.

"We have to get down there," said Stark.

"I know," replied Steve.

"You're not breaking through that metal," stated Fury as he strode into the destroyed bank with several SHIELD agents in tow. The men in suits began taking the unconscious thugs into custody. "It's designed to take a beating and hold up."

"What about a Hulk-sized beating?" asked Tony, a bit of defeat creeping into his voice.

"Come again?" asked the director.

"It can withstand me pounding on it, but what if we got the Hulk in here to beat on it for awhile?" Everyone paused for a moment while they considered the idea. "I'll take your silence to mean Yes," Stark said as he walked out to grab Bruce.

It took a moment for Tony to retrieve Bruce, who had been waiting outside for the action to come to an end. From what he had observed on the security feed, it seemed his friends had the situation under control until it came to retrieving their wayward friends. Carefully stepping over the rubble (which he was relieved he hadn't caused this time), he joined everyone gathered at the tunnel door.

"We need you break open this door," said Captain America.

"You want me to lose control so the Other Guy can smash open a door that leads to a tunnel. We didn't want me in the bank because he would level it, but you think a tunnel won't be in issue? I have a feeling Hulk will bring that down just as easy," Banner replied.

"Not in the tunnel. Just smash the door," corrected Tony.

An unconvinced Bruce rolled his eyes. "Right."

"Look, Bruce, I really want to respect your feelings on this . . ."

Banner interrupted Stark's plea, "no, you don't."

"You're right, I don't. I'm the first person to tell you you should let loose more often, but the point is I can't get through this door any time soon. Every minute we waste talking about it is another minute closer to losing Barton and another minute closer to something happening to Pepper. We'll worry about how to calm you down after."

He hated it when Tony was right. He couldn't stand there and do nothing knowing that he could help his friends. With a reluctant nod, Banner agreed and let the Other Guy take over; the Hulk had wanted a piece of the action anyways.

They all watched as Bruce went through his transformation; it took but a few moments for the mild-mannered doctor to be replaced by the green rage monster. The SHIELD operatives that had accompanied Fury had cleared the scene in record time, thus minimizing any potential casualties should the Hulk decide he didn't want to cooperate with the Avengers.

In the last few months since New York, Bruce had had to call on the Hulk five times. Twice were for missions Fury had them go on and three times were in an effort to try and ingrain some sort of loyalty and understanding between the giant green beast and the rest of the Avengers. They had sent Thor in first to try and deal with him. Much to Bruce's (and he suspected the rest of the team's) surprise, it was kind of working. Sure, the Hulk left a trail of destruction in his wake, but he seemed to take small direction and innocent people were no longer getting hurt. There was one small incident with Iron Man and the Hulk putting him through a wall, but Bruce suspected Tony brought that on himself. Bruce still feared the Hulk but on a more basic level he had recently begun to respect him for the good he might be capable of.

Steve was the first to step up and issue the very basic command to their now large friend. "Hulk, smash the door."

A smile spread across his green lips and the Hulk set to work. It took three punches, but, in the end, the high tech metal door that SHIELD had thought would keep their secrets safe bent to the force of the mighty Avenger. The door fell to the ground below and Hulk stuck his head in the tunnel to let out a mighty roar. The ground quivered under the threat the beast had just sent the hastily retreating enemy.

"We'll take care of him. You two go get Barton and Potts," ordered Fury as he stared at Hulk, not entirely sure how he was going to get the green man to sit this one out and not destroy anything.


	12. Chapter 12

Mac was the first to climb into the tunnel. Clint made a less than graceful entrance into the poorly lit cavern. Not caring about his landing, Josh decided to hurry the injured man along, giving him a good shove through the entrance. If landing face first on the unforgiving concrete wasn't bad enough, William decided to follow suit and pushed Pepper down on top of him.

Hot agony filled his world again. Sure, Potts was small, but crashing down on top of him added more misery to his already battered and abused body. She tried to get off of him as quickly as possible, but that just caused her to push against his damaged leg and side. He was pretty sure that he felt a rib break, assuming it wasn't previously broken by the bullet that was still lodged in his side.

Barton was pretty sure he had heard Pepper scream Steve's name before his senses dulled under his anguish. If Steve was there, then the rest of the team had to be there too. They weren't alone anymore. Part of Clint wanted to just stay in a heap on the floor and die; the others could handle the situation. They could save the day and he could finally give into darkness that had been tugging at the edges of his vision for the last hour.

The pressure on top of him disappeared, only to be replaced with a constant tapping on his cheek. He opened his heavy eyelids and blinked a few times to try and bring the blob over him into focus. He looked at Pepper, then at their captors, who were grabbing weapons and flashlights they had thrown down when they first broke through. His job wasn't done yet; he had to keep Pepper safe and stop them from taking Keres. The pounding above them suggested that the team was having a hard time opening the door to the tunnel, which meant that Barton was still on his own for a little while yet.

"Do you still have that pocket knife I gave you?" The words barely made it past his split lip and Pepper had to lean closer to hear them. Barton had lost his weapon during his first attempt to take out the gunmen and knew Pepper had lost the gun he had given her when they searched her. He sincerely hoped that they had missed the knife.

"Clint, don't even think about it," warned Pepper. It broke her heart to see him like this. The thought of the archer trying to take the robbers on again in his condition wasn't a good one. She saw the determination in his eyes. It wasn't unlike the look she often saw on Tony before he rushed off to do something incredibility stupid and dangerous and idiotic and heroic.

She knew he was going to do whatever he was thinking with or without her help, so she might as well help. Supporting him as he shakily got to his feet, she slipped the knife from her pocket to his while the robbers were busy gathering their things. Clint gave her a small smile and a nod of thanks before they were grabbed and forced to march down the tunnel away from their rescue.

After making a fair bit of progress, a mighty roar echoed off the narrow walls. The thugs turned towards the sound, but Clint knew exactly what it was. He couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. "Now you're in trouble."

"Oh ya, hotshot, I think the only one who's in trouble here is you," snapped Josh pulling hard against the collar of Barton's shirt.

Clint wasted no time. As Josh yanked him back, he pulled the pocket knife out and jabbed the blade into the side of Josh's neck. The robber had no chance to register what was happening in time to stop Clint. Hand clutched to his throat in a feeble attempt to keep the precious crimson fluid in, he fell to his knees then flat on the ground.

Mac, who had been a few steps ahead of them, moved towards Hawkeye in an effort to restrain him. A quick elbow to the nose sent the thug reeling in the other direction. He dropped the case as he grabbed his now broken nose. The Keres vials spilled on the ground. Two came to rest near the wall, but the third shattered on the concrete.

Seeing his friends lose control of the situation, William hurled Pepper out of his way and charged towards Barton. Clint was still focused on Mac and didn't turn in time to see the last gunman lunge at him. They hit the ground hard with William on top. Clint's wounds gave a violent protest to being knocked around. With Hawkeye dazed, William managed to get two solid punches to the archer's head.

Barton painstakingly brought his right leg up in an effort to take the top position. Clint could feel the broken glass on the ground cut into his back as the pair rolled. They came to a rest when they hit the wall with Hawkeye on top. He blocked William's next punch and delivered one of his own. Not to be outdone, William gripped his opponent's neck and squeezed. Clint used one hand to try and pry off the fingers crushing his windpipe and used his other arm to apply pressure of his own to William's throat. It was a race to see who would succumb to the blackness first.

Barton let out a sigh of relief as he felt William go slack; he didn't think he was going to be able to hold out much longer. Then a foot slammed into his shoulder. As he fell onto his back, he couldn't help but wish he had never answered the text that morning. Mac stood over him like a mighty oak tree towering over an ant. Clint gasped, trying to catch the breath that had been ripped from his lungs on impact. He grabbed his wounded side as he writhed weakly in agony on the floor and stared up the muzzle of a gun; heard the safety click off and prepared for the end. The sound of the bullet discharging echoed off the walls but Clint never felt it enter.


	13. Chapter 13

Pepper didn't know how long it took her to gather her wits after William pushed her into the wall. Once she did, though, the first thing she saw was Clint on his back with Mac's menacing figure towering over him. She only had moments to act before the gunman would shoot Barton. Grabbing one of the discarded guns, she moved in behind Mac, then swung it like a baseball bat at the same time the other man started pulling the trigger. Mac's bullet slammed into the wall as the man himself crumpled to the ground like a ragdoll.

In a flash, Clint reached over and pulled out the pocket knife from Josh's neck(the man had since faded from this world). He jabbed two quick stabs to the man's chest, then one more to lodge it in the artery in his neck. A pool of blood began to expand across the floor, circling around Pepper's feet.

Carefully, Potts put the gun down, its weight bearing far too much responsibility for her hands, and moved towards Barton, who was fumbling against the wall to stand up. She watched as he moved his hand in front of him like he was reaching for something only he could see.

"Y-you ok, P-pepper," came the concerned slur.

She grabbed his hand and held it tight. She could hear the sounds of people coming down the tunnel. It sounded like Tony; help was almost there. "I'm fine, Clint. Don't worry about me. We have to worry about you. I hear Tony coming; we'll get you out of here and to a hospital in a minute."

"T-tony?"

"Yes, Tony." She looked down the tunnel and saw the faint glow of Stark's arc reactor getting closer with the sound of his thrusters.

The archer's eyes rolled to the back of his head and he sank to the floor. A red streak covered the wall in his wake from the cuts on his back. The makeshift bandages that had bought Clint more time were soaked through.

"Clint! Don't do this, Clint. Come on, open your eyes!" demanded Pepper. She turned to check on Tony's progress. "Tony, hurry!"

Iron Man placed his feet of the ground and slid his face plate up. He wanted to jump for joy at the sight of Pepper still alive, but the moment was short lived as he saw her clinging to an unconscious Hawkeye. His stomach clinched at the fear that all their efforts had been in vain;, that they were too late to save yet another person that mattered to them.

Steve came running up behind Stark and stopped to take in the horrifying scene. One look from Tony and he knew the plan that was forming. He nodded his consent and Stark scooped up the fallen archer and flew him back to the tunnel entrance, leaving Pepper in Roger's' capable hands.

Captain America surveyed the results of the fight. He felt a certain amount of pride in his friend that, even injured, he'd managed to take down the bad guys and protect Pepper from harm. Steve really hoped his act of bravery wouldn't cost him his life.

Steve extended his hand to Pepper who was still kneeling in the same spot. The tears were starting now that Barton was gone. She took the hand and got shakily to her feet. Rogers immediately wrapped his arms around her in a reassuring hug that also helped steady her. She wasn't sure how long they stood there. She just knew that he let her cry her frustration and fears out. It wasn't only for Barton; the weight of the whole situation hit her all at once.

"Shhh, he's going to be alright Pepper. It's all going to be ok now," reassured Steve.

She took a moment to catch her breath and wipe her tears.

"We should get back and out of this tunnel," he suggested. They started to walk back the way they had come when something caught his eye. He stopped and bent down near the two vials that were resting against the wall. "What's that?"

"It's what they came for. That's what they took out of the vault. One of them had it in the briefcase, but they fell out when Clint jumped him."

"This is what Fury was after?" Rogers picked up the two vials and put them back in the case. He had SHIELD's prize possession in one hand and Stark's leaning on his other shoulder. The pair slowly made their journey back to the bank and the world outside.

* * *

Tony held the archer in his arms as he flew back towards the door. JARVIS used the connection to the suit to perform a quick scan of the unconscious man.

"Sir, I've completed a vitals scan of Agent Barton."

"And?"

"It appears that Agent Barton is crashing, sir. I recommend immediate medical attention. His pulse and blood volume are dangerously low and his respiration is extremely laboured."

"As if there wasn't enough pressure," muttered Tony.

Iron Man burst through the open door into the bank. A few seconds later, he was outside standing in front of the ambulance that had been stationed nearby in case something went wrong during the siege. He placed Barton on one of the stretchers and backed up to allow the EMTs room. Sliding his face plate up, he watched as they worked to try and stabilize his friend. Fury stood next to him, face grim.

The portable heart monitor the paramedics attached to Clint's chest started to beep; the beeps merged into a constant high-pitched whine. Stark and Fury could do nothing but watch as a flat blue line ran across the screen. A flurry of activity danced around the fallen man pausing only when someone yelled "Clear!"

A jolt of electricity ran through the archer's body, but the blue line didn't change. Someone placed an oxygen mask over his face and began squeezing valuable oxygen into his starved lungs. Another person slid a needle in his arm, pumping chemicals into his veins. The paddles were placed against his chest a second time. Again, the line remained obstinately flat.

Tony could feel the urge to move build in him; he needed to do something, anything, other than standing there watching his friend die. He didn't realize he had been mumbling "come on," over and over again until he finally shouted it after the third attempt to start Barton's heart produced the same results as before. "Come on, you bastard! You don't get out that easy!"


	14. Chapter 14

Tony sat at the bar with his elbows on the counter and his head resting on his hands, one of which held a glass of scotch. He glanced at the clock in the recently reconstructed living room. 3:30 am. Another night spent at the bottom of a bottle. Sure, that happened a lot, but this was the first time in recent memory that he had found himself here every night for over a week. Usually Pepper convinced him to drown his sorrows another way by the fourth night in a row, but she was consumed with her own grief over the whole Barton thing.

He wasn't sure if he was surprised or not when Bruce pulled up a bar stool and sat next to him. What did elicit a look of utter shock was Banner pouring himself a glass of scotch. He ignored Tony as he took a sip from the glass and set it on the counter.

After a moment, Bruce decided to be the one to break the deafening silence. "How's Pepper doing?"

"About as good as the rest of us, I suppose," offered Stark as he gestured to the glass in his hand. The motion caused the ice in the half-filled glass to clink against the sides.

"You did all you could, Tony." Banner wasn't sure how his sympathetic tone would go over. They had all felt so helpless and each of them reacted to that helplessness differently.

"Well, it doesn't seem like enough, you know?"

"You saved Pepper."

Stark turned to face Bruce, his expression somewhere between serious and frustrated. "But I didn't save Barton." His rant sped up and his voice began to rise as he continued. "In fact, Clint saved Pepper. Let's give the man the credit he deserves. You know, my only thought through it all was Pepper. I barely gave Barton a second thought."

They had all noticed that Tony was taking the whole situation really hard. Maybe they all felt a little guilty at the fact that Clint was often a second thought. The team had united to save the world and slowly began to form friendships and bonds in the months since, but the archer always seemed to be an afterthought. They barely noticed if he wasn't present unless Natasha was also missing, never spoke of just Clint but always Natasha and Clint or Romanoff and Barton. Hell, more often than not they referred to him only as Barton or Hawkeye, rarely Clint.

Banner racked his mind trying to find a justifiable reason for it. The man had been rather distant after the Manhattan mission and understandably so. They all had demons to deal with, but Hawkeye's were recent and something that none of them could really understand. Sure, they could relate with some of their own experiences, but none of them had been forced by Loki to kill friends and colleagues. Maybe part of the problem had been that, deep down inside, some part of them still held him responsible for the situation, as ridiculous as that idea sounded.

"That's understandable in that situation. Someone you love was in danger. People prioritise based on their feelings and relationships..."

Tony snorted and cut Bruce's attempt at a comforting justification off. "You know who Barton was thinking about? Pepper. So who the hell was thinking about Barton while all this was going down? Sure as hell wasn't us. He's Fury's guy and he was willing to sacrifice him for the greater good of SHIELD."

"I think this team thing is all still new to all of us. We're bound to make mistakes here and there."

"This was a pretty big mistake, don't you think? It's not even my birthday."

"What?" Bruce asked with a furrowed brow.

"Pepper told Clint that she needed his advice on a surprise birthday present for me. That's why he was with her at the bank, transferring funds to cover her excuse to get to know the guy better. Neither of them would have been there if we- I - had realized how withdrawn the man was. Look what this team thing has cost us. First Coulson died and now Barton's ..." Tony slammed his empty glass on the counter and stood up. He stormed towards the door but he turned to face Bruce before he left. "We can't keep getting this team thing wrong."

"I know," whispered Banner into the night.


	15. Chapter 15

Natasha sat staring at the wall. She had been there since her return from her solo mission. This was not what she had planned on coming back to. The mission was difficult but the last week had been harder. A hand brushed hers and she turned to look at the partially opened grey eyes.

"Hey." It was a hoarse whisper but so much better than the silence that had dominated the room for so long.

"I heard you saved the day," said Natasha. Normal conversation was always much more reassuring. It didn't hold the potential to hide the gravity of the situation like over cheery sentiment and over played relief did.

He could hear the concern and relief in her voice. "It was nothing."

"Not how Pepper tells it." Natasha reached over and placed an ice cube in Clint's mouth.

"Well, it was her first hostage situation; people are prone to exaggerate when it comes to their first near death experience."

The ice helped a little but his voice was still a whisper. "You look like shit, Barton." That was probably the best compliment she could give him. Truth was he looked worse than that. If there was a shade beyond pale, he was it. His hair was matted to his head and the black stitched across his forehead stood out in shocking contrast. Whatever part of him wasn't a sickly pale color was a bright pallet of blacks and purples and his lip was still swollen. She couldn't see them under the sheets, but his torso and leg were covered in bandages.

His eyes started to close again and he sleepily muttered, "Feel like shit."

It wasn't a lot but the fact that he finally made an appearance in the land of the living lifted her feeling of dread that he might not pull through this one.

* * *

The next time Clint woke up it was Stark sitting in the chair Natasha had occupied.

He swallowed and licked his dry lips. His voice was just as hoarse as before. "You're not as pretty as my last guest."

Tony's lip curled at Barton's effort. He was pretty sure it was supposed to be his job to sound reassuring and provide the comic relief. "I guess it depends who you ask. You should probably leave that in," he instructed as he stopped Clint's hand from pulling out the nasal cannel.

Barton decided to take the advice; even that small movement sapped his energy. "Pepper's alright?"

Stark had to laugh to himself. Of all the questions Hawkeye should be asking, his first was about someone else. "She's fine."

Clint closed his eyes and took a second to absorb the information. "What's the verdict?"

"What, with you? You mean after your dramatic performance outside the bank, what with the flat lining and all ... doctor says you'll be fine, eventually. You're fighting off an infection from the bullet that smashed two ribs but managed to do no serious long term damage and you'll have to stay off that leg for a while, but you'll live to fight another day. You had us worried there for awhile champ." Stark paused to collect his thoughts. "What you did there, the way you looked out for Pepper, you were there for her when I couldn't be and you probably saved her life. I just wanted to personally thank you for that."

"You don't thank anyone, Stark."

"I know, so that would make this a special occasion. Mark it on the calendar, Chuck Norris."

"Chuck Norris?"

"Well you don't have the money to be Batman, and, even though I haven't seen you stare down a grizzly, I have a sneaking suspicion you just might be able to pull that one off."

Barton was losing his battle to stay conscious once again, drained by the short conversation. His eyes fluttered shut and he was just about to drift off when a thought occurred to him. His eyes snapped open startling Stark. "They had Keres!"

"Whoa, whoa there," cautioned Tony as he placed his hands on the injured man's shoulders to stop him from trying to sit up. "Relax, we got it back; Fury took it and locked it up in another super top secret spy closet. The world is safe; you did good, Clint. Now just take it easy."

Knowing that everything was as it should be, the bad guys taken down, SHIELD property safe and secure and Pepper safe, the injured Avenger let sleep claim him. For a complete disaster, it turned out better than he expected. Just another day in the life of a secret assassin. Really, what else was he going to do that day?

The next morning, he awoke to find Pepper sitting next to his bed. She was busy scrolling through something on her phone and didn't notice that Clint was awake. He waited a few moments to make his own assessment on how she was doing before he reached over and tapped her arm.

She let out a surprised gasp and jumped about a foot out of the chair, then composed herself and offered Barton a warm smile. "You're awake. How are you feeling?"

He did a mental inventory of how he was feeling, coming to the conclusion that shit was a woefully inadequate descriptor, but she didn't need to know that. "Better."

There was that awkward silence again. He knew he was lying, she knew he was lying and they both knew that the other one knew. Pepper decided not to call him on it; she owed him for all he had done for her and if he wanted to continue playing the hero, she could give him that.

Clint spoke first, "I want to apologise, Pepper."

"What do you have to apologise for?" she asked, astonished.

He picked at the blanket that was tucked around him and he replayed their day out. "I should have known something was wrong, seen that guy sooner... I don't know, told you no from the start. Bad things seem to follow me lately., I shouldn't have risked it."

"You wouldn't have been there if it wasn't for me." She pondered his confession for a moment. "Is that why you're so distant? Cause you think something will happen?"

"My failures over the last seven months have been pretty epic."

"Clint, you save the world!"

"Ya, right after I almost brought it down. I don't expect you to understand, just..."

She cut off his litany of self condemnation, "Shit happens! It's how you rise above it that matters and you turned it into a victory. You're a hero, like it or not. A self-destructive hero, but I can help you work on that part and so will the rest of the Avengers. You just have to let them, and accept their own unconventional, weird ways of helping."

Unable to bare the determined gaze she fixed upon him, Clint nodded his acceptance of her summation.

Feeling like she had gotten through to Barton, she added, "I want to take you out to lunch when you get out of here... as a thank you for everything you did."

"Lunch with you? I don't know. If it ends the way it did last time..." Pepper's cheerful expression shifted to a more wounded one; clearly, she wasn't as in tune to his humor as Natasha was. "I'm joking. I'd love to go to lunch, just no more trying to find gifts for Tony!"

Pepper laughed as her face lit up again. "I'll schedule something as soon as we know when you'll be out."

Barton couldn't help but return her smile. If this was what having friends was like, he could certainly get used to it.

The end

* * *

(Story 1 of 3)

**Thank-you so much to everyone who read this story.**

A big thanks to anyone who added an alert, favourite or review (especially anyone who reviewed more than once or every chapter!) it is greatly appreciated and means a lot.

Huge thanks to Tracy137 for the terrific beta work and Red Aurora for continuing the amazing beta job!

I'm evil but I never said Clint died at the end of chapter 14. Tony never finished his sentence about what happened to the archer. High five to **Bookdancer** for picking up on that.

This is the first story in a series I am working on. The next story is _The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions_ and will answer some of the questions brought up by this story. Sorry to anyone that asked a question in their review but I don't like to give away any current, future or possible plot points by confirming or denying anything, but I do appreciate reading questions and speculations.

As for Clintasha, I have nothing against that relationship but I felt this story was better served without Natasha present. She probably would have handled the situation better than the rest of the team but where would the fun and drama be in the story then?

There were a few people who I wanted to reply to and tell them it would all be alright but again that would ruin the suspense. See it worked out all right, this time.


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